The Einstein Telescope will bear no resemblance to the telescopes you are used to. Located about 200 to 300 meters underground, the instrument will detect distortions in spacetime and enable the observation of galaxy formation and the evolution of the universe in the era following the Big Bang. While scientists have yet to determine its exact design, this international project is already offering opportunities to technology and innovation companies.

That is one reason why a representative of CzechInvest in Germany attended the Tech-talk seminar on the topic “Business and Innovation Opportunities Related to the Einstein Telescope.” The event, organized by the NanoMikroWerkstoffePhotonik. NRW cluster, welcomed representatives of CzechInvest based on the long-term cooperation between the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Düsseldorf and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection, and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

At the beginning of the seminar, Professor Achim Stahl from RWTH Aachen presented the Einstein Telescope project, including a popular introduction to the principles of astrophysics on which the planned scientific infrastructure for detecting and measuring gravitational waves is based.

The seminar program also included a presentation on:

The COMET (Co-making the Einstein Telescope) project, which focuses on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises working in the fields of optics, active noise cancellation, vacuum technologies, cryogenics, laser interferometry, and advanced data processing. The COMET project supports the development of technologies and their practical application. The grant amount for a single application can reach a maximum of 75,000 EUR (up to 50% of project costs). Three calls for proposals are planned for 2026, in April, July, and December. The project aims to support 12 innovative projects focused on developing technologies for the ET.
The STIPP (SME Transition Innovation Partner Projects) instrument is designed to provide broader support for cross-border cooperation among small and medium-sized enterprises and to foster business development and innovation in the Meuse-Rhine region. The instrument’s objective is to support regional economic transformation. The instrument supports the creation of industrial partnerships, their identification, establishment, and the actual technological implementation of individual projects. Since this is a regional instrument, entities from the border regions of the Netherlands and Germany are eligible to apply for support. The grant amount depends on the number of participating companies from each supported region. Depending on the number of companies and regions, the grant amount ranges from 75,000 to 125,000 euros. In 2026, the call for proposals will be open from August to October.

Since both activities are part of the Interreg VI program, the implementation period is set for 2021–2027. The online seminar concluded with a presentation of the LUCET project—a successful innovation development and implementation project supported by the STIPP tool. The project consists of a cross-border consortium of four partners: Netal, ISAtec engineering, SAC, and Cilyx. As part of the project, a technology for laser cleaning of tubes in a high vacuum environment was developed for the Einstein Telescope. The technology enables the achievement of microscopic levels of cleanliness. In addition to funding, the STIPP instrument provided a service to identify consortium partners for the project.
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Complete recording of the online seminar